Spanish Andalusian Stew Recipes

ANDALUSIAN CABBAGE STEW

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, lidded skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and bell pepper. Cook, stirring, until the pepper has softened slightly and the pan is fragrant, about three minutes. Add the cabbage. Cook, stirring, until the cabbage has softened slightly and lost some of its volume, about five minutes. Add the chili pepper, sugar, tomatoes, salt and paprika. Raise the heat slightly, and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly and the mixture smells fragrant, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the vinegar and pepper, and taste and adjust salt. Simmer another 10 minutes. Serve with thick slices of country bread or with rice. This will taste even better if you refrigerate it overnight and serve it the next day.

SPANISH ANDALUSIAN STEW

Steps:

• In a large casserole, heat the olive oil. Add the salt pork and sauté over fairly high heat for 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
• Add the pieces of ham, pork and chicken to the casserole. Brown over high heat, then season with salt and pepper.
• Return the reserved salt pork to the casserole. Pour in the cold water and bring rapidly to a boil. Skim the surface. Add the chick-peas and return to a boil, then lower heat, cover and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours. Add the vegetables, re-cover and continue simmering for 1 more hour.
• Season the stew with the garlic, saffron, cumin and coriander, then remove vegetables and meats with a slotted spoon and arrange on a heated serving platter. Bring broth to a boil and reduce slightly over high heat. Pour broth over meat and vegetables. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.
• Larousse Treasury of Country Cooking.

COCIDO

Steps:

• Put the chickpeas, oxtail, jamón serrano (or bacon or prosciutto), and ham bone or beef shank in a large stew pot with 4 cups of the cold water. Bring to a simmer slowly, about 30 minutes, then cook for 1 hour, skimming the foam off the surface occasionally.
• Meanwhile, in a mortar pound the garlic, peppercorns, saffron, and cumin together until mushy. Add the whole tomato and continue pounding until the mixture is homogeneous. This step can also be done in a blender or food processor.
• Add the green beans, chicken legs, chorizo, potato, and the chopped tomato to the stew pot along with the remaining cup cold water. Carefully stir the stew and salt lightly. Add the spice mixture to the pot and stir carefully to blend well.
• Cook over very low heat for 2 to 4 hours, checking doneness occasionally after 2 hours. The cocido is done when the meat is falling off the chicken legs and the potato has lost its crunch, but before it begins to fall apart. Taste and correct the seasoning.
• Note: A Spanish chorizo sausage is not as hot as the Mexican sausage of the same name. It is best to substitute it with a Portuguese chouriço sausage, a Polish kielbasa, or a mild Italian sausage.

ANDALUSIAN-STYLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Add the saffron to the hot stock to soak. Heat the oil in a medium pan and cook the onion until it is soft and just beginning to turn golden. Push to the side of the pan and add the chicken. Cook for a few mins until the chicken is browned all over.
• Add the cinnamon and chilli, and cook for a couple of mins. Add the stock, vinegar, honey, tomatoes and raisins. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 10 mins until the sauce is reduced and the chicken is cooked through. When ready to serve, scatter with the coriander and nuts, and serve with bread on the side.

SPANISH-STYLE LAMB STEW

Steps:

• Warm oil in a large heavy-bottom pot with a lid or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, sprinkle lamb generously with salt and pepper and cook in batches to avoid overcrowding, turning once or twice, until each piece is well browned all over, about 15 minutes total. Transfer pieces to a plate as they brown.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat and add onions, bell pepper, garlic and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions and peppers are softened, about 5 minutes. Add pimentón and stir for a minute. Stir in tomatoes, breaking them into bite-size pieces and scraping browned bits from the pot. Add wine, chicken stock, vinegar and bay leaves and bring just to a boil.
• Return lamb to pot and reduce heat so mixture is bubbling very gently. Partly cover pot and cook, stirring every 20 minutes or so, until lamb is very tender, about 2 hours. Discard bay leaves. Stir in beans and cook another 10 minutes to heat them through. Stir in parsley and adjust the seasoning if necessary.